Join The Call to Protect Public Health Care for all Canadians

A Call-Out from the Ontario Health Coalition, a province-wide citizens network fighting to save quality public health care

Posted January 28th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

The Ontario Health Coalition, in partnership with the provincial and territorial health coalitions and the Canadian Health Coalition, has been working tirelessly to bring an end to the unlawful extra-billing of patients by private health clinics and stop the privatization of health care services.

Private clinics undermine public health care and equal, universal health care for all Canadians by billing public health plans (like OHIP) and also billing patients extra user fees, sometimes amounting to thousands of dollars for medically needed care. This is unlawful under the Canada Health Act and it causes hardship and growing inequity.

We have written an Open Letter to all Provincial and Federal Health Ministers in Canada calling upon them to uphold the Canada Health Act, stop two-tier user fees and extra-billing of patients, and stop privatization.

Background:

anada’s public health care system is based on the moral principle that care is provided based on people’s medical needs not their wealth. Health care is to be equitably provided to all Canadians.

But across Canada, local public hospitals have seen services cut and contracted out to private clinics. These private clinics sell diagnostic tests and surgeries as profit-seeking businesses. They make profits from our public health care plans (such as OHIP) and by charging patients extra user-fees for access to health care.

In our studies, we have called all the private clinics across Canada and found repeatedly that the vast majority are violating the Canada Health Act which protects patients by banning these extra user-fees. A number of the clinics have been found to be double-billing (billing the patient and the public health plan for the same procedure or test).

When public campaigns have been mounted by public interest groups such as Ontario Health coalition, we have successfully pushed back extra billing but we need more action from government to protect patients.

It should not be permissible for Canadian patients to be forced to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket for medically necessary cataracts surgery that should be covered under their health care plan. In British Colombia, these private clinics have taken the government to court in an attempt to bring downthe laws that protect patients against extra-billing.

Private clinics are proven to cost more — often double or even five times the cost — than public hospitals. For example: private clinics are routinely charging $1,000 for a basic MRI.

The average cost of an MRI in Ontario or B.C. in a public hospital paid by our government health plan is about $350. Private clinics routinely charge $2,000 plus hundreds for extra eye tests etc. to elderly patients seeking cataract surgery.

In Ontario, for example, it costs $560 for cataract surgery in a public hospital, paid by our public health insurance plan. In a number of cases, the private clinics are charging the patient and charging the government-funded public health plan also!

We ask that you take the time to read and share this information, and help to safeguard public heatlh care from for-profit privatization. Please sign onto the Open Letter to Canada’s Health Ministers.

~ Protecting Public Medicare for All ~

About the Ontario Health Coalition – The Ontario Health Coalition is comprised of a Board of Directors, committees of the Board as approved in the Coalition’s annual Action Plan, Local Coalitions, member organizations and individual members. Currently the Ontario Health Coalition represents more than 400 member organizations and a network of Local Health Coalitions and individual members.

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